Liquefied petroleum gas system



April 17, 1945.

'LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS SYSTEM J. HOLICER Filed July 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LIE/tweak. I,

J. R. HOLICER LIQUEFYIED PETROLEUM GAS SYSTEM April- 17, 1945;

Filed July 1 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Joan E. H01. (C-ER I I l l l I I I I I i I I I I l i I l I ulllll-l'llllllllllllinto a gas as it flows -from th throughthe dispensing-apparatus.

the dispensing equipment thereon. I

tank is buried in the earth it rapidly deteriorates a Patented Apr. 17, 1945 UNITEDQSTATES ','PATENT OFF-ICE v2,373,683 1 LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS svs'rE-M John R. Holicer, Shreveport, La. Q I Application .Iuly 12, 1941, ser l No. 402,255

6 Claims. (01. 62-1) V This invention relates to a liquefied petroleum gas vaporizer.

An object of t e inventionis to provide a gas vaporizer oi the character described specially dei signed for utilizing liquefied petroleum gas as a fuel.

The vaporizer is constructed as an independent unit for use where natural or artificial ga is not available and which is designed to utilize butane or otherliquefied petroleum gas.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a vaporizer of the character described, novel means of causing the vaporization of the liquid Vaporizers of. this general type embody a storagetank and dispensing apparatus for delivering the vaporized gas to the point of utilization.

- It is common practice to bury the storage tank beneath the surface of the earth and to mount When the and must from time to time be renewed. By

. the use ofthe present invention the storage tank maybe located above the surface of the earth with only the dispensing equipment buried in the ground and this dispensing equipment may be made of durable material which will not readily deteriorate and will therefore not need to be often renewed or replaced. Furthermore, with the storage tank placed aboveiground and with the dispensinge'quipment buried in the earth, vapor of substantially uniform'B. t. u, will be delivered irrespective of the temperature-or pressure of the gas in the storage tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a gas vaporizeroi the character described an auxiliary storage chamber, or gas collector, assoelated with the dispensing apparatus which will collect a portion of the vapor being delivered, and in case 01' overload. will store the liquid entrained in the vapor with an automatic cut-off and' expansionivalve arranged to be'closed by the liquid rising in the auxiliary storage tank or collector. The arrangement is such that while tional view of the automatic cut-off e. storage tank this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows aside elevation of thevaporizer, partly in section, and showing the storage tank partly broken away;

Figure 2.shows afragmentary, vertical, sectional view of the hood employed. v

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary, longitudinal, secand expansion valve assembly.

Figure 4 shows a side view, partly in section, of'

the valve employed in said assembly. y

Figure 5 shows a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

. Figure 6 shows a vertical, sectional view of the regulator. y Figure 7 shows a vertical, sectional view taken on the line 'i--.-'! of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of the auxiliary storage tank, or collector,- illustrating another embodiment -of the inven- Referringnow more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference desgnate the same parts in each of the figures,- the numeral i designates the storage tank which, in

the present illustration, is shown located above the surface of the ground on the foundation 2. A feed pipe 3 leads from the tank I and is equipped with a shut ofi valve 4 and aregulating valve assembly '5. The regulating valve assembly is passes into thechamber' l0 beneath said. diaphragm and out through the outlet duct II and the automatic cut-oil and expansion valve is" in a vaporizer of the character described, novel means tor'causing the vaporization oi the gas as it flows 'irom the storage through the dispense in: apparatus.

With'thc above and other obiectsin' view-the shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7. It is of 'cpnventionai construction and need not be described in specific detail. It has aninlet duct-6' whose inner end is downwardly turned and may be, closed by the valvel. This valve is connected to the transverse diaphragm 8 and a strong coilsprlng 9 normally acts against said diaphragm .to hold the-valve 1 open to allow the flow o1 liquid through the inlet duct 6; and said liquid then on-through the line 3.

The coil spring Q'is enclosed by'means of an adjustable'nut !2 having a threaded connection with the valve casing whereby thecompression ofthespringimaybevaried; Y

The. liquid flowlngout from the tank' I will be under the pressure of the vaporized gas ac-j cuinulating in thetank i and as the pressure rises it will act against the diaphragm '8 to overcome the Pressure 01' the spring l and close the may be clamped theretoby the clamp II.

The coil I3 terminates in a cylindrical valve casing l3 preferably formed of brass and whichis screwed into an outwardly extended nipple the vapor may pass around the plunger valve 23.

The inner end of the valve 23 has a deep slot 25 and also has a cross pin 26 extending across said slot.

There is a toggle lever 21 having a depending extension 21a. The extension 21a works in a slot 23 in theinner end of the valve casing l3 and is pivoted therein on the cross pin 23. The up per margin of the toggle lever 21 is provided with a notch 30 to receive the cross pin 26. Extended inwardly from the inner end of the lever 21 there is a rod 3| to the inner end of which the float 32 is attached- This floatris located in the upper end of .the auxiliary tank or gas collector formed by the stand pipe l3 and when the vaporizer becomes overloaded, that is when the consumption of fuel exceeds the capacity of the vaporizerliquid will collect in said gas chamber or collector and will lift the float into the position shown in Figures 1 and 3; the plunger valve 23 will be closed; that is, it will be moved against the seat 2| to temporarily prevent the further admission of vapor from the coil l3. The outer end of the valve 23 has an insert 33 of neoprene or similar material countersunk therein to make a close fltting joint with the seat 2| when the valve is closed. a

As the level of the liquid in the collector 'descends the float 32 will also descend to. open the valve 23 to permit resumption .ofthe flow of vapor from the coil l3.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 8 the feed pipe 3 is connected directly into the outer" end of the valve cas'ng I3, the coil I3 being dispensed 'with as under certain conditions this coil may be found not necessary.

Mounted on the upper endof the stand pipe H, by suitable brackets 33 there is a cylindrical upstanding hood 34. This hood is equipped with a removable cover 35. As shown the dispensing equipment and the hood are buried in the ground with the removable cover 36' accessible above the ground surface.

Chamber H is provided with a relief valve 31 located within the hood 34. This relief valve may be directly connected to plate I5, and have thereabove a vent pipe 36.

Leading out from said collecting chamber beneath the top plate l there is a service pipe 33 wh ch continues through the hood 34 and continues on to the point of utilization. Incorporated in this service pipe and located within the hood there is a conventional pressure reguasvaess lator 33 which is equipped with the upstanding vent pipe 43 located within the hood and whose upper end may be downwardly turned, if desired,

as shown in Figure 2.

The liquid will flow from the tank I through the delivery line 3 passing through the regulating valve assembly 5 and will expand and become partially vaporized as it passes through the line ,3. 'The vaporization will continue as the fluid passes through the coil l3, said coil being of a sufllciently high temperature, from the earth, to cause said vaporization. The float 32 will normally be in its lower position with the valve 23 open so thatthe vapor will readily pass into the stand pipe and thence out through the service line 33, the flow ofgas being controlled by the regulator 33. The operation will be the same with the embodiment shown in Figure 8 which will be used under conditions not requiring the ",0 coil l3.

The liquid entrained in the gas entering the auxiliary tank, or standpipe M, will drop down in case of an overload into said tank, the tank acting as a collector. Should a sufllcient amount of liquid be collected in the collector to lift the float 32 the valve 23 will be thereby closed to temporarily out off the delivery of fuel from the coil H, or the delivery pipe 3 of Figure 8. While the valve 23 is closed the liquid in the auxiliary tank ll will vaporize suflicientlv to furnish a supply of gas through the service line 38 until the level of the liquid in the auxiliary tank II has fallen to allow the valve 23 to open whereupon anormal delivery of gas from the tank 5 will be resumed.

The auxiliary supply tank is provided with a drain opening at its lower end which is normally closed by the plug 3|,

The drawings and descriptionare illustrative 40 merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

There has been filed in the Patent Office applicant's co-pending application, filed June 29, 1943, under Serial No. 492,738, for Method and apparatus for storing, atomizing and generating liquefied petroleum gases, which is considered as an improvement over this instant invention,'

.and cross-reference thereto is here made.

What I claim is:

l. In a system {or vaporizing liquefied petroleum gas, a storage tank arranged above the ground surface, a collector arranged beneath the ground surface, a fluid conducting line leading from the tank into the upper portion of the collector,-a regulating valve incorporated into said line, float means movable in accordance with the level of the liquidin' the collector to control the flow of fluid through the line, a service line leading from the collector, a regulator for controlling 00 the flow or fluid through the service line and a hood mounted on the collector and'enclosing the regulator.

2. Apparatus ot the character described for storing and vaporizing liquefied petroleum gas, comprising a storage tank, a collector, a fluid conducting line leading from the tank into the collector and formed into a coil about the collector, a valve for controlling the flow of fluid into'the collector from said line, a float movable in accordance with the level of the liquid in the collector foropening and closing the valve and a service line leading from the collector.

3. Apparatus of the character described for storing and vaporizing liquefied petroleum gas, comprising a storage tank, a collector beneath the level of the storage tank a fluid conducting line leading irom the tank into the top or the col-- lector, a regulating valve incorporated in said line, means including a float in the collector for opening and closing the line, a'service line leading out from the upper portion-of the collector, a regulator for controlling the flow oi fluid through the service line and a hood on the collector enclosing the regulator. I v

4. In apparatus for vaporizing and dispensing liquefied petroleum gas, a collecting and vaporizing chamber buried in the earth; a valve associated therewith for controlling the delivery of fluid thereto: said valve being provided with a casing having an axial channel terminating. at

" its inner end, in a valve seat, said casing having an enlargedazial'bore into which the channel merges, said bore having longitudinal wall channels, a cylindrical valve plunger mounted in the bore and having one'end arranged to co-act'with the seat to close and open said axial channel, a-

toggle lever pivoted to said plunger and having a depending extension pivoted to thecasing; and a float connected to the free end of the lever.

5. In a system for vaporlzing'liquefled petro- "leum gas, a 'flxed storage tank arranged above lector to provide a float chamber; a fluid confrom the tank to the .cordance with the ducting line leading from the tank and terminating in the float chamber, a regulating valve insaid line, a float moveable in aclevel of; the liquid in the chamher to control the flow or fluid through the line, a service line leading from the standpipe above the float, a regulator for controlling the flow of fluid through the service line and located beneath the ground surface, a hood mounted on the upper end of the standpipe and enclosing the regulator.

6. In apparatus for vaporizing and dispensing liquefied petroleum gas, a storage tank under pressure; a collecting and vaporizing chamber buried in the earth; a pipe for conducting fluid chamber; means adapted to limit the pressure of the fluid delivered to the chamber; an expansion valve associated with the chamber and adapted to expand the fluid delivered thereto; a gas service pipe leading from the chamber; and a pressure regulator carried by the service pipe.

JOHN R. HOLICER.

corporated into 

